Getting started

What are the benefits of registering on gettyimages.co.uk?

Registration on Getty Images is quick and easy. Once you register on Getty Images, you will have access to the images you have saved to your Boards across multiple browsers and devices. You will also view pricing in your local currency and be the first to learn about our newest imagery, visual trends and promotions.

How do I set up an account for a company?

If you are interested in establishing a company account for credit terms or tax-exempt purchasing or want to be associated with an existing company account, please contact us.

Do you offer subscriptions?

Yes. You can purchase subscriptions for creative content through our subscription platform, Thinkstock. We also offer subscriptions for editorial content, available through your local sales representative.

Managing my account

How can I update my personal account information?

Once you've completed the registration process, you can modify your account information at any time by accessing your profile under the My Account heading at the top of any page. From this page you can view or update personal details, mailing information and billing information. Note: If you've established company terms for online purchasing, you cannot edit your billing address online. If you need to modify this address please contact us.

Can I change the name that I entered during registration?

Yes. Once you have registered, you can change the name by accessing your profile under the My account heading at the top of any page.

How do I retrieve my username or password?

You can retrieve your password from the sign in page. If you've forgotten both your username and password or which email address is currently in your profile, please contact us for assistance.

Can I view invoices online?

Yes. Once you are signed in, you can view your invoices at any time by clicking invoices under the My Account heading at the top of any page.

Does Getty Images offer refunds?

Yes, for rights-managed images. If an image or video does not meet your needs and you have not used the image/video, you can return it for a full refund within seven days. Getty Images does not offer refunds for royalty-free content. Service fees are nonrefundable.

How do I cancel or delete my account?

Searching for images

What is the best way to refine my search?

There are several ways to refine your search. Our search tips guide can help you choose the right search terms to get started. From your search results page, use the Refine this search panel on the left to apply filters such as people, keywords and style to your specific search. The advanced search page allows you to further refine your search with filters that include collection and photographer.

What is the difference between creative stock and editorial images?

Creative stock photos are trend-researched, art-directed and available for commercial use, although in some cases additional clearances may be required. Editorial images represent newsworthy events or illustrate matters of general interest, such as news, sport and entertainment and are generally intended for editorial use. In most cases, additional clearance will be required for commercial or promotional use of an editorial image and some editorial images may not be used commercially at all. Please review the caption and restriction information provided with each editorial image to determine whether any restrictions apply to the specific image.

What is the difference between royalty-free and rights-managed/rights-ready content?

During your search, you'll find content that is designated as either royalty-free (RF) or rights-managed (RM) or in the case of footage, rights-ready (RR). RF licensing is based on file size. Prices are available as soon as you select an asset. RF also means you don't have to pay any additional royalties for successive uses of a product—provided you comply with the license terms—you'll have a perpetual licence to re-use the content. RM and RR licensing impose restrictions on usage, such as limitations on size, placement, duration of use and geographic distribution. Pricing is calculated once you provide usage details. RR and RM content comes from our premier collections and offers highly stylised content with high production value — some images can be licensed with exclusive rights.

Can I search for images using keywords other than English?

Yes. Choose your preferred language from the international dropdown at the top right of any page. You will then be redirected to the local site for that specified language.

Working with images

Is the file I downloaded different from the size stated on the website?

Our images are compressed for download. Once you open the image in a photo editing programme, you will see the accurate file size.

Can I download an image for comp or evaluation purposes or preview footage?

Yes. Once you have registered, you can download a preview version of an image with no watermark to use temporarily for up to 30 days. The licensed material may only be used in materials for personal, non-commercial use and test or sample use, including comps and layouts and is subject to the terms of our Comping File and Footage Preview License Agreement.

Licensing images

What does it mean to "license" an image?

When you "purchase" content on gettyimages.co.uk you are actually purchasing a licence for the rights to use that content. The price of the content is based on the type of licence you choose and, in the case of rights-managed images and rights-ready footage, the usage specifications you provide. Usage specifications can include the size of the content being used, placement, duration of use and geographic distribution. Depending on who you identify as the "licensee", either you (the purchaser) or someone else (third party individual or company, such as a client) will own the right to use the content as outlined in the licensing agreement. Visit our licensing overview page

How do I price content on gettyimages.co.uk?

During your search, you'll find content that is designated as either royalty-free (RF) or rights-managed (RM). Prices for royalty-free content are based on file size and are available as soon as you select an image. Rights-managed licensing requires a few extra clicks to define usage specifications and establish pricing.

Does royalty-free mean "free"?

No. Royalty-free simply means that, after purchasing your original licence, you don't have to pay any additional royalties for successive uses of a royalty-free product — provided you comply with the licence terms, you have a perpetual license to re-use the product.

What is the difference between a royalty-free and rights-managed/rights-ready licence?

RF licensing is based on file size. Prices are available as soon as you select an asset. RF also means you don't have to pay any additional royalties for successive uses of a product—provided you comply with the license terms—you'll have a perpetual licence to re-use the content. RM and RR licensing impose restrictions on usage, such as limitations on size, placement, duration of use and geographic distribution. Pricing is calculated once you provide usage details. RR and RM content comes from our premier collections and offers highly stylised content with high production value — some images can be licensed with exclusive rights.

How do I give my client (a third-party) ownership of the image licence?

During the purchase process, designate your client as licensee by entering your client's name into the "License to" field. The client then becomes the owner of the specified licence for that particular content (whether imagery, footage or music). You can use the confirmation document emailed to you for client reference.

Working with embedded images

What does it mean to 'embed' a Getty Images photo?

When you embed a Getty Images photo, you are pasting a snippet of HTML code for that photo into the source code of a website, social media site or blog, so that the photo appears on that site. Learn how to embed a photo.

The photographer and collection name appears below every photo you embed on a site or blog. This makes it easy to search for other photos by the same photographer or within the same collection on gettyimages.co.uk.

To license an embedded photo, simply click the photo to open gettyimages.co.uk and start your purchase.

Is there a fee for embedding a Getty Images photo on a website, social media site or blog?

No. Using our embed code, you can embed any Getty Images photo that has the embed icon (</>) on a website, social media site or blog for free and without having to buy a licence, as long as the photo is not used for commercial purposes (meaning in an advertisement or in any way intended to sell a product, raise money or promote or endorse something). Learn how to embed a photo.

How do I embed Getty Images photos on a website, social media site or blog?

An Embed this image icon (</>) appears below photos that are available to embed on a site. Note that not all photos on gettyimages.co.uk are available to embed.

There are two ways to embed a photo.

From the search results page:

On gettyimages.co.uk, enter one or more search terms in the Search box.

On the search results page, place the pointer over an image.

In the pop-up window, click the Embed this image icon (</>) below the image.

In the Embed this image window, click COPY EMBED CODE.

Paste the HTML code you copied into the source code of a website or blog where you want this image to appear.

From the image details page:

On gettyimages.co.uk, enter one or more search terms in the Search box.

On the search results page, click an image.

In the pop-up window, click the Embed this image icon (</>) below the image.

In the Embed this image window, click COPY EMBED CODE.

Paste the HTML code you copied into the source code of a website or blog where you want this image to appear.

Are there any restrictions for using a Getty Images photo I’ve embedded on a website, social media site or blog?

Yes. You may not use Getty Images embedded photos for the following purposes or in the following manner:

Commercial use intended to sell a product, raise money or promote or endorse something.

Any use that is defamatory, pornographic or otherwise illegal.

Any use that violates a stated restriction on the gettyimages.co.uk image details page.

Any use outside of the context of the embed functionality.

Can I embed a Getty Images photo on any type of website including social media sites like Facebook or Twitter?

Yes, you can embed available Getty Images photos in your personal posts on social media sites as long as the photo is not used for commercial purposes intended to sell a product, raise money or promote or endorse something. Note that proper rendering of embed codes is at the discretion of the destination site.

Can I change the size of an embedded image?

No. Getty Images' photos that you embed on a site cannot be resized. If you want a different file size, you will need to license the image for the size you want. To do so, go to gettyimages.co.uk to view the available file sizes and pricing options for the image you want to license.

An image that I embedded on a website or blog is no longer available for use. Why?

An image may no longer be available for a number of reasons. If an image is no longer available for use, the following message appears on your site in place of the image:

Image not found
This image is no longer available for use.
Find more images on gettyimages.co.uk.

Why does an embed icon appear with some images and not with others?

There is a broad range of both editorial and stock photos that are available for embedded use. Note that not all photos on gettyimages.co.uk are available to embed. You can easily identify images available to embed by the Embed this image icon (</>) that appears below an image.

What is copyright and how does it relate to embedded images?

Copyright is a form of legal protection for creative works. It allows creators to control and license their works, to earn a living and to continue investing in the creation of new works. Photographs are protected by copyright, and their use requires permission. As long as you comply with our Terms of Use, you have permission to embed and legally use available photos on a website, social media site or blog.